PLS Academy
The Course Design
This course emphasizes the importance of private lands and the collaboration needed between landowners and natural resource professionals to conserve them. Students will explore private land stewardship (PLS), its history, national and regional trends, common approaches and tools, and the legal, regulatory, and economic challenges and opportunities associated with it. The course also covers fostering stewardship from various perspectives, including those of agency, professional managers, and landowners, as well as the development of a land ethic.
While the core content and objectives of the PLS Academy will be consistent, the method of delivery, credit designation, and administrative oversight may vary across institutions.
Collaborators are encouraged to adapt the course materials to align with their regional needs and stakeholder priorities, while maintaining the integrity and foundational principles of sustainable land stewardship that underpin the Private Land Stewardship Academy's mission.
Topics include:
• Ecological, economic, and social needs of private lands.
• Policies, compliance requirements, and conservation incentives.
• Effective communication with stakeholders through outreach, education, and collaboration.
• Monitoring and evaluating stewardship efforts.
• Implementation of sustainable land management practices.
The Private Land Stewardship Academy is a collaboration between the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Texas A&M University, the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming, Mississippi State University College of Forest Resources, Montana State University, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources.